So my first car was an 08 VW rabbit. I saved up money and was planning on getting a MKVI GTI. Test drove it and loved it! Was ready to drive it. It was basically my VW rabbit on steroids x 100. I was looking at a used R32 but decided the MKVI would be better, and lower cost on insurance. However, my dads friend who works at BMW knew I was looking for a GTI called us up and told us he had a great deal on a 128i. It was the demo car with bells and whistles, MSRP 37k, they would drop the price down to 31k, and it had abour 6000 miles, and I would be given the first official title of the car.

I drove it and the feel is what got me!

I was a big VW freak. I wanted a GTI and thought about it for months before the MKVI came. It looks great, awesome interior, DSG, and XENONS light. Most of these options come in more expensive cars. Driving it was a blast too, it has a special filter that goes from the engine to the cabin so you can hear your engine roar louder. The styling i loved! DSG was fantastic.

Then I drove the 128i.

Acceleration wise, they feel the same, but on the GTI the power comes low and you feel an instant rush, whereas on the 128i it raises the more you push the pedal.

For family reasons, I had to get AT. I drive it mostly in manual mode now, because throttle lag and I don't really like D. The GTI however has an amazing DSG transmission with launch control. Like everyone else says on here, the auto on the 128i is not recommended, and if you do get auto, drive it in manual mode xD.

The 128i has plenty of power. Like the GTI, its a fun little car. The main reason I chose the 128i vs the GTI was the feel of the car, mainly because of it being RWD. I have sport suspension which also helps a lot.

Right now, I have injen intake on my 128i, and I think the car has plenty of power.

OP, I was in a very similar situation to you just a few weeks ago. I owned a 2006 GTI DSG, albeit not chipped. I test drove a lot of cars, including a 128i 6MT and step, and of course the 135i DCT and 6MT. From a chassis perspective, I felt like all of the 1-series had a very similar character. Coming from a GTI, I don't think I'd own a 1-series without a sport package, and for me, the step just wasn't acceptable. I've always owned manuals, but went with DSG in the GTI. I drove it in M mode more than I did D or S. It was responsive, but no computer can read your mind. If you're a "driver", I can't imagine you'll find the Steptronic acceptable.

As far as performance, it's all been said. The 128i and GTI are similar on paper. IMO, the GTI feels a little bit more nimble in every day driving. When you really push it, the 128i feels better because of the better balance and RWD platform. The big "in your face" difference for me was the difference between NA and turbocharged engines. The torque swell of the 2.0T makes the GTI feel faster around town. The 128i revs like my old VR6 GTI though. Both have their ups and downs.

In the end, the 128i just felt like too much of a lateral move when coming from a GTI. The 135i delivered where the GTI just fell apart: raw power. The N54/N55 feels fantastic in every situation. The choice between 6MT and DCT comes down to your use-case/preference.

One thing I can tell you is that you should definitely run numbers on both the 128i + sport versus a basic 135i. The 135i comes with the sport suspension by default, so you don't need it to compare to a 128i + sport directly. Both cars have great residuals (above 60%) and favorable finance rates through BMW. When you look at the final lease payments, you'll find that the difference isn't that significant.

Now after you chip this car supposedly its a whole different story. He showed me a dyno he did where he's laying down over 200+ HP and 250 lb/ft of torque. Even at the front wheels he claims it let him run the 1/4 at 13.9s at a local track while the best I can do is 14.8s (admittedly I'm not that skilled at the track though)..

Yezzir, I've chipped my GTI and it's hands-down the best bang for the buck performance mod you can make to the car. The stage 1 upgrade puts the 2.0T at 250hp and just under 300 ft-lbs of torque. I'm loving the power that I have at lower gears now and the "getting pushed into the seat" feeling.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucky1

All and all I'm not disappointed I didn't get a GTI over the 128i one bit but it has dawned on me that it cost a whole lot more.

Hope that helps

It does help, thanks for the info. Your track times are a pretty good indication of some of the differences between our cars. Though I've never driven one, I'm sure that the 128i has a smoother/more comfortable ride. That said, from the rest of the threads here, I don't think i'll enjoy going to a slower (albeit not much slower) car. It's going to have to be a 135i